Rajasthan Royals want Ruturaj Gaikwad or Ravindra Jadeja in exchange for Sanju Samson? Report provides massive update as trade rumours intensify

After reportedly asking the Rajasthan Royals (RR) to release him ahead of IPL 2026, Sanju Samson has been linked with a move to several franchises. However, one team whose name has come up the most number of times is Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It was rumoured that the record 5-time IPL champions viewed Samson as a great replacement for MS Dhoni, whose future in the league is uncertain. 

The rumours would only intensify after an ESPNcricinfo report had claimed that Ravichandran Ashwin is open to parting ways with CSK and had asked the franchise to provide clarity on his role in the upcoming season.

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Many believed that CSK will end up trading Ashwin for Samson, however, according to a latest report by Cricbuzz, the latter is likely to not make a move to the Chennai-based franchise. This is due to the fact that RR have reportedly asked CSK to trade either Ravindra Jadeja or Ruturaj Gaikwad in exchange for Samson and the latter franchise is certainly not in any mood to entertain such requests.

The report further stated that RR owner Manoj Badale has offered to potentially trade Samson with multiple other franchises that are keen to trade their players for the wicketkeeper-batter. The report even said that the Rajasthan-based franchise may have already reached an agreement with a team over the deal.

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There is also the possibility of Samson entering the mini-auction that is likely to be held later this year in November or December. However, with many franchises keen on signing him, it is likely that the 30-year-old's next IPL team will be decided before the auction.

Samson was poor with the bat in IPL 2025

On the other hand, Samson had a forgettable IPL 2025 campaign with RR as not only did the side finish ninth on the points table, but the wicketkeeper-batter's individual performance were also far from impressive. Samson only played 9 matches in the tournament due to a finger injury which saw Riyan Parag fulfill the leadership duties. The 30-year-old only scored 285 runs during the season, including just one 50+ score as the franchise was able to emerge victorious in only four matches out of 14. He will definitely be keen to improve his performance with the bat no matter which team he features for in the next IPL season.